Plasma treatment method

Abstract

In a plasma treatment method of and apparatus for treating the surface of a treatment target substrate by utilizing glow discharge produced by supplying high-frequency power into an inside-evacuated reactor through a high-frequency power supply means, a plurality of impedance regulation means for regulating impedances on the side of the reactor and on the side of the high-frequency power supply means are provided correspondingly to the impedances of a plurality of reactors, and the high-frequency power is supplied into the reactors via the impedance regulation means corresponding to the reactors. Plasma treatment can be made in a good efficiency and a low cost on a plurality of reactors having different impedances.

1. A plasma treatment method in which a plurality of reactors, each provided with a cylindrical substrate provided inside of the reactor which is capable of being evacuated and a different impedance, are successively connected to a high frequency power supply to perform a plasma treatment, the method comprising:
 (a) attaching a plurality of impedance regulation means each corresponding to impedance of the respective reactors to a detachable attachment portion provided in the high-frequency power supply; 
 (b) connecting the reactors to the high-frequency power supply after the attaching; 
 (c) supplying high-frequency power to the reactors via the impedance regulation means; 
 (d) generating a glow discharge from the supplied high-frequency power to treat a surface of the cylindrical substrate; and 
 (e) successively separating the plurality of reactors from the high-frequency power supply after the surface treatment. 
 
     
     
       2. The plasma treatment method according to  claim 1 , wherein the surface of the substrate is plasma treated by deposited film formation. 
     
     
       3. The plasma treatment method according to  claim 2 , wherein the deposited film is a deposited film of an electrophotographic photosensitive member. 
     
     
       4. The plasma treatment method according to  claim 1 , wherein a plurality of the cylindrical substrates having a predetermined diameter are provided in one of the reactors, and a plurality of the cylindrical substrates having a diameter different from the predetermined diameter are provided in another one of the reactors. 
     
     
       5. The plasma-treatment method according to  claim 1 , wherein the impedance is regulated by electrostatic capacitance. 
     
     
       6. The plasma-treatment method according to  claim 1 , wherein the impedance is regulated by inductance coefficient.